Nationals Misc News & Info

[apachef4]

Ok, we've got 2 weeks until opening day. Time to get this show on the road. If a mod could replace the 2014 sticky with this, it would be greatly appreciated.

Nats have announce their pitching order: 1. Scherzer 2. Zimmermann 3. Strasburg 4. Gio 5. Fister. Fister? I hardly know her!

 

[hokiehi21]

But what's with these injuries? Rendon, Span, Werth, Stras, Storen, McLouth. Just got Escobar back at least.

T-Mo, Gwynn and Taylor are pretty damn good backups though. And Espi playin a lil 3B was fun to see, hitting right-handed full time.

 

[apachef4]

The amount of injuries is unsettling.

 

[hokiehi21]

No


Fuck

 

[hokiehi21]

Couple trades.

Nats send Sandy Leon to Bawston for cash.

Jerry Blevins to Mets for Matt den Dekker

 

[apachef4]

Hopefully the Storen thing isn't a big issue. Looks like a toe blister.

 

[hokiehi21]

Holy shit Kevin Frandsen got released and Gwynn sent down to minors. Two moves I didn't see coming.

Also looks like our opening day lineup will be Escobar at 3rd and Uggla at 2nd. Who predicted that a month ago?

 

[hokiehi21]

Oh

 

[GenJac]

I remember the 71 Orioles roster. Prior to the season, nobody had all four of them as 20 game winners. This Nats rotation looks really good on paper, but so did the 11 Sox and Phils Did any professional baseball prognosticator not have those two teams in the WS before the season even started? Max is right...let's see how it plays out.

 

[apachef4]

I remember the 71 Orioles roster. Prior to the season, nobody had all four of them as 20 game winners. This Nats rotation looks really good on paper, but so did the 11 Sox and Phils Did any professional baseball prognosticator not have those two teams in the WS before the season even started? Max is right...let's see how it plays out.

To be fair, the 2011 Phils won 102 games. Sure, they didn't win the WS which is the ultimate goal, but they still had an excellent regular season. The playoffs are a different animal, and no one's under the delusion that the Nats are going to have it easy this year, particularly if we are fortunate enough to make the playoffs again. And we have absolutely zero success there to rest our laurels on.

 

[Ritzarmy]

SP = Excellent
Hitters/Fielders = Good
Bullpen = weakness

Let's hope our RP's can hold onto the leads and then we have a shot at the WS. If we stay healthy and gel as a team I can say this being a magical season. We can't get like Harper and think we are already champs. Let's play game by game and daily improve.

 

[GenJac]

I don't trust the Nationals offense to produce consistently. The pitching was great against the Giants in the playoffs last year and they lost because nobody other than Bryce Harper showed up at the plate. They then proceeded to lose their most consistent offensive player in Adam LaRoche and are counting on a 36-year old Jayson Werth and Harper to stay healthy. If they had added a bat (and maybe stocked their bullpen more to replace Tyler Clippard, their best reliever last year) I'd be more confident. What do you think?

 

[apachef4]

I don't trust the Nationals offense to produce consistently. The pitching was great against the Giants in the playoffs last year and they lost because nobody other than Bryce Harper showed up at the plate. They then proceeded to lose their most consistent offensive player in Adam LaRoche and are counting on a 36-year old Jayson Werth and Harper to stay healthy. If they had added a bat (and maybe stocked their bullpen more to replace Tyler Clippard, their best reliever last year) I'd be more confident. What do you think?

I can't quibble too much with what you've said here. Consistent offensive production is indeed the big question going into the season, as well as the bullpen. However, if healthy, I think the offense will be just fine...though the "if healthy" part is the question. The bullpen, well, we won't know until it goes into action. I find that bullpens can be hard to predict, simply because they are the players we know the least about on a team. I mean, in theory, they are the 6th-11th worst pitchers on a team. I know that's an over-simplification, but we just don't pay enough attention to them until they're on the mound and pitching brilliantly or dreadfully. How will each man fit into their respective roles? I have no idea, and I share a bit of your skepticism.

As for LaRoche, he will be missed. However, while his overall numbers were pretty consistent, he was incredibly streaky, both good and bad, throughout a season. There were plenty of times he single-handedly carried the team offensively, and many others he completely disappeared. Still, I loved having him and that beautiful glove at 1st.

 

[apachef4]

 

[apachef4]

 

[apachef4]

 

[apachef4]

The Nats Blog The Opening Day 25-Man Roster

The opening day 25-man roster.

 

[hokiehi21]

Welp

 

[GenJac]

The Nats have a SS that can't field and a clean up hitter who can't hit. Not the combination to win World Series!

 

[apachef4]

The Nats have a SS that can't field and a clean up hitter who can't hit. Not the combination to win World Series!

I agree. 2 weeks into the season is more than enough time to say that Ryan Zimmerman can't hit and Ian Desmond will make 162 errors this season. They should just trade away all their players and start rebuilding.